A Shadowed Path:The Inheritance Cycle Continued
by IssacTheRider
Summary: The world of Alagaesia has twisted onward after the final page, it continued into the dark and the cold of an age without any author. But now a sad child born of poverty and strife has found a way in and now the story calls to him. He can lead or follow, destroy or be destroyed... The decision is his to make and the choices will be many as he walks A Shadowed Path.
1. Another Discovery

**Chapter ****I- Another Discovery**

The sky was gray and dreary; perfect weather for me. The woods stretched ahead of me green and vibrant in the gloom.

_At least no one will bother me out here, _I thought darkly, stepping into the thick foliage.

It was mid season and everything was still wet with moisture. The woods were eerily silent as I walked through the trees. Nothing disturbed the silence except for the occasional bird twittering to its neighbor. My thoughts wandered aimlessly as my feet as I continued my gloomy trudge through the damp. Before I realized it I was far from the house without any buildings in sight. I stopped in confusion.

_I haven't walked that far have I? _I wondered to myself.

The day continued to grow old as the light dimmed. My aimless walk had brought me to a wide clearing with a small creek running across the far side. I tried to pinpoint my location but with the sun hidden and sinking I couldn't use it as a guide, and he small hills that rest behind the church had disappeared from sight. My thoughts slowed with fatigue and worry as I sat on a rotted log beside the stream. Nothing worse could have happened. Stuck in the woods, at night, with no way back.

"Great job Abe, you've actually managed to get lost this time!" I yelled out loud.

Suddenly a shapeless blur at the edge of the forest caught my attention. Rising from my seat I jumped across the stream and ran to where I had seen the movement. Nothing appeared to me as I approached spot, but suddenly a cry rang out above me.

_"Wyrda!"_

Startled I peered up into the tree above me only to see a stark white raven.

_"Wyrda!"_ Came the strange cry again.

This strange anomaly I knew should have flown away as soon as I had approached, so why did it stay? The large white bird cocked its head at me and stared down with a beady eye that I noticed was a pale blue color.

"_A long, long journey a lost man will make, _

_only for the shadows all to take." _Screeched the bird wildly.

Even more startled I stumbled back from the bird cursing. My mind had found the answer to the mystery. Quite sure that I was not insane, my mind had gathered the memories of an amazing series I had once read. Later in the book a future telling white raven named Bladgen had appeared as a character in Ellesmera, the elven city. Somehow the book had manifested itself into reality.

Remembering the basics of the book I cleared my mind and thought out _Bladgen is that you?_

The bird naturally did not reply to my attempts at communicating but cocked its head a second time before taking flight and disappearing into the gloom of the clearing. Night had almost fallen now and it was extremely dark. Running after the bird I noticed a loud rushing of branches and wind. Great gusts of wind whirled through the meadow tearing through the grass like a wild animal. A great clap of noise punctured the air as the wind suddenly stopped. In the center of the clearing a great nimbus of what I now knew was magic grew, stretching tendrils of glowing whitish power across the grass.

Stumbling with my now shocked hearing I tried to move away from the glow, back into the forest but I couldn't move my legs. Something within me held me in place. Suddenly with a burst of light that sent me reeling the ball of energy dissolved in to an elliptical portal of swirling green and gold shards. The bird that I knew to be Bladgen stepped up to the yawning glow and flew through. I knew then of course that this portal, for it was a portal led back through reality and into the world of Inheritance and the book I had read so long before.

Flashing repeatedly the portal hummed and before dissolving into a faint glow shot out a new item that hurled through the air and into the forest. I stumbled and fell to my knees. What I had just seen was incredible, impossible even if I still trusted everything I knew about the universe. Clambering to my feet I stumbled towards the woods where the object had disappeared. I was having trouble walking still so as soon as I reached the woods I sat down on a large root. The sky was near pitch now and I was having trouble seeing after the bright light of the portal, but something near my foot I caught a glint. Reaching out into the darkness I felt for the object, as soon as my hand touched it I gasped. If I had felt what I thought I had… Everything would change. Cautiously this time I picked up the object and marveled at its lightness.

Sitting on my lap was a large black gem with thin veined webbing of a whitish material. This I knew was a dragon egg.


	2. Black Morning

Authors Note:Sorry for the quality of my first chapter. Please keep in mind that updates will become less frequent as chapters become more lengthy and higher in quality.

Chapter 2- Black Morning

I stormed through the darkened house ,making an earsplitting amount of noise as I climbed the stairs. That morning as soon as everyone was awake and downstairs I had rushed to my aunt and urgently asked if I could barrow the laptop to do some early writing. Sadly she had replied that "You shouldn't use computers in your room this early and later I need the laptop with me for my meeting."

I was of course extremely irritated by this due to the fact that I did not infact want the laptop to write but instead to research lore and myth about dragons. Grabbing my jacket from the wall I dashed back downstairs, past the noise of my relatives conversation. Struggling into my jacket while I ran, I soon reached the woods and began the long trudge along the muddied path.

"Naturally she would need the computer today" I exclaimed as I reached the clearing. The air was eerily still, it sounded almost unnaturally quiet. Turning away from the clearings' center were the portal had appeared I searched through the underbrush, constantly searching for a hint of glimmering black. "I can't have lost it!" I yelled aloud. Suddenly without warning I fell to the ground, stumbling up I looked to see what I had tripped over. Laying on the ground untucked from its' hiding place was the egg. Reaching down I picked it up and gazed at its glossy surface.

"Thought I'd lost you for a minute" I said to the egg.

Not that it could hear me but I still held a nagging feeling that I should talk to it. The series of books entitled "The Inheritance Cycle" had described the workings of dragons and their lives only briefly. So, thinking outside the box, I began to imagine the possibilities of what might have happened. _Perhaps somewhere in that series, a portal like this one opened and an egg fell through._ I considered it, it seemed possible. _But that can't be it,_ I thought, _This egg must have fallen through after the book ended since it was never part of the story. _This seemed like the most probable option to me. After all, didn't Eragon move on to create a new clan of riders?

So I decided then that must be the truth of what had happened here. And then another thought struck me. _If the portal opened once, why not again? And what if..., _I actually gasped at the thought, _the egg hatches for me? _I looked down at the egg again, the light seemed to grow brighter and the egg seemed to glint and glow in front of me. _If it does hatch for me, what can I do?_ I thought back to the books I had read and remembered that the modern world and that of Alageasia were completely different. _ The world might not be so accepting to a dragon and rider. _

Right then I decided that no matter what ties I had to the past and to the world of technology, Alageasia was were I belonged at heart. Rushing back to the house I noticed that Ellen had left and so had Chris. Dashing inside I grabbed the key from the cupboard and unlocked the door. Running to the back of the house I opened the trunk under the staircase and frantically dug through it. _If I can't find clothes that will fit in I might as well go naked! _Jeans and a hoodie wouldn't do, if there e was one thing remembered from reading stories of time travel, it was best to not bring new objects or technology to different time periods or places.

Finally near the bottom of the trunk I found a pair of blued cotton breeches. Dashing back up the stairs I searched through the crowded closet for a shirt. Stopping to catch my breath I listened for any noise, the entire house was silent. Reaching as high as I could I grabbed onto the end of a plastic bin. I stumbled away as the whole thing came tumbling down on top of the mess that I had already created. I quickly began to dig through the pile of clothes, knowing that my time was growing short before the portal was likely to open again. Picking my way around horrid mothball smelling junk, I found an inner and outer cotton shirt. They had come from a scarecrow costume and would fit reasonably well.

_One more thing left to do,_ I thought. Grabbing my belt from the floor, I ran into the bathroom and procured a weapon. The flip blade Ellen had on the shelf would have to be good enough as anything else would simply be too out of place. Crossing the house faster than ever before, I stopped in the kitchen to check the time. _Only thirty-five minutes left. _Dashing into the basement I grabbed a sack from Hans Farms and took it back upstairs with me. I opened the pantry and examined what I could take with me, _Most of the beans and rice should be fine but anything in modern packaging won't do. _Grabbing two full jars of long grain rice, I stuffed them into the sack and then added three onions. Going to the refrigerator I grabbed a package of raw beef and stuffed that too into my bag.

Struggling out of my clothes I grabbed my new outfit and put it on. _Certainly not the most comfortable thing I've ever worn. _I groused.

Running from the house was a trick since I was wearing a leather pair of work boots that just fit me. When I finally made it back to the woods I estimated that there was only five or so minutes remaining. I gently picked up the egg from where I had left it and wrapped it in rags. Opening the sac I nestled it between the fire-starter bundle I had found and the wool blankets. As I raised the pack to my shoulder again the wind picked up.

It was exactly like the first time the portal had opened. The wind begin to blow harder than ever, it tore at my clothes and rushed through the field. The sky darkened as a light began to shine, it grew and grew until I could no longer look at it. Suddenly it exploded outwards into a ball of molten energy and then flattened into a disk of pulsating green and gold light. Stepping up to it, I peered into its depths.

And then I stepped through.


	3. Dras abr Wyrda

Authors Note: Thanks for the support that you have shown in my last two chapters. And a review is always appreciated.

\- Chapter 3-Dras abr Wyrda  
_Italics= Thought by character_ "_Italics_"= _Said by character in mind_ "Quotes"= Said by character  
_ Well that was fast. _I thought to myself as I felt the ground against my face. "Oooh" I moaned as I rose to my feet, checking my arms and legs. As soon as I had stepped through the portal in the meadow I had blacked out. When I awoke I found myself flat on the ground. I carefully examined my surroundings,dense trees and brush surrounded me on all sides. For a moment it seemed as if I hadn't traveled anywhere at all. On closer inspection I found that the clumps of flowers around me were entirely different from any I had seen before. And turning my face into the wind I sensed a deep salty taste that reminded me of the sea.

Looking back I saw that the sack of supplies I had taken had infact some with me. Going over to it I checked inside to see if the egg was undamaged. I knew that even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to so much as scratch it. Either way I was concerned, th sack had nearly spilled across the ground when I came through. Hefting it over my shoulder, I set of towards the tallest tree I could see. _Time to get my bearings. _I thought to myself. Reaching the oak I had seen I placed the sack at the base of the trunk and examined it for any footholds.

Finding the one I needed quickly scrambled into the branches. I climbed as high as I could and finding a sturdy branch I slowly moved out of the foliage. The air was cool on my face, in the distance I could see the ocean. Above it in a blaze of reddish glory was the sun, just peeking over the waves. Turning my head to the right I saw in the distance a path cut through the trees, and farther on in the foggy distance I saw a stone tower. It glistened in the light and for a second I saw the outline of more. Then it was gone.

Climbing down from the tree I reached into my sack and pulled out the only thing that was dangerous to have with me. I had taken a map of Alageasia. I had noticed from the tree that I was on a small peninsula of land of a larger section that stretched away into the distance, curving in a wide arc. I searched the map but none of the islands matched what I had seen. _That would men I am off the map completely now. _I thought, _Eragon did continue east so maybe we are on an island off the eastern coast of Alageasia. _ This seemed reasonable to me considering that this was most likely taking place after the series ended. I considered my options carefully. _I can stay here today and prepare to hike through the woods towards the.. well whatever it is. _

Taking from the sack my small double-bladed hatchet I had rescued from Ezras garage. I moved off into the woods to find firewood. Coming up to a small fallen elm I cut what I needed and began to walk back towards the clearing. Looking down I noticed a deep set of imprints in the ground. They were large about twice the width of my hand and even larger in length. _Dragon prints. _I shivered. I dearly hoped it wasn't a wild dragon who left these prints. Highly territorial a wild dragon wouldn't hesitate to tear me limb from limb.

Reaching the clearing I made a small fire bed with my starter kit and using the back of my knife blade, showered sparks into the hollow. I raised the mess to my face blowing gently. As the flames grew I continued to feed them sticks. Soon I had a small smokeless fire and the rice was boiling. Reaching for the sack again I noticed an odd noise coming from inside. A tapping, clacking rhythm. And then it stopped, before starting again a minute later.

_It's hatching! _I could barely contain my excitement. _It's actually hatching for me. _When the rice was done I ate slowly, watching the egg. The day passed quickly I rested for a number of hours, leaning against the tree and feeling my bruises throb and ache. It was nearing sunset when it happened.

The clacking and tapping had grown slowly louder as the day progressed. I was just beginning to doze again as suddenly I heard a crack, rising to my feet I stared into the darkness around the clearing. All was quiet outside of the fires glow. Again sharply a crack rang through the air. I looked down at the egg next to me, spider web cracks ran across the surface. The cracks widened and pieces began to fall off as slowly an incredible creature raised its head through the gap. It whined for a moment and then pushed again falling out of the egg. Turning about on small unsteady legs, licking off the thin membrane that encased it. Was a small black dragon, peering up at me with icy silver eyes. My thoughts scrambled like ants beneath a magnifying glass. _Can I accept this? Is it my place to become.. a dragon rider? _Suddenly I felt purpose within myself. _The egg hatched for me, it is too late to second guess myself. _Reaching out I brushed the dragons neck. Before I could even call out my entire arm was encased in ice, then it was replaced by burning as fire seemed to burn through my veins.

When I awoke I felt better. Opening my eyes I found myself on my back looking up into the trees canopy. As my senses slowly returned to me I felt a weight on my side. Looking down I saw it was the dragon nestled against me. _It really did happen._ I wondered. Raising my hand I looked at my palm, on it was the gedwëy ignasia, the mark of a rider. Carefully placing my hands behind me I raised myself into a sitting position. Looking around I noticed the sack was open, looking at the dragon again I noticed its stomach was rather distended. _I guess you found the beef then. _The dragon opened an eye an looked at me.

I remembered what had happened in the series. Now that I was a rider my mind would expand outward and I would be able to feel and interact with the minds of others. I searched with my mind leaning outwards from my body trying to touch the dragons mind. _There it is..._ the newborn hatching hadn't developed the full intelligence of a mature dragon but swirling through the link I felt, emotions of some kind, senses maybe?

The dragon I knew was no longer hungry, but there was something else there as well. Wonder was what the dragon felt. I thought for a moment. _I can't keep my old identity though the dragon will learn it eventually..._ It was then that I decided my name in this world. I reached out to the dragons mind. "_I am Issac_" , I told it.

Picking up the sack, I slung it and the Axe over my shoulder. Rested from the previous day, I was full of energy and ready to set off on my journey. The dragon watched me idly from a tree. "Come with me" I said to it. It looked at me with both eyes. I tried again reaching towards it. "_Come_". Recognition filtered through to me. Jumping from the tree the dragon glided down and perched itself on my shoulder. It carefully dug its claws into the unsteady fabric of my shoulder. When it had settled itself and began to peer around at the trees I began the long hike across the island.

I quickly found the trail that I had seen from the tree. The island was definitely occupied as I heard horses long before I reached the path. Knowing that most people would probably wonder how a boy had appeared on the island with a dragon hatching instead of taking the path directly I followed it at a distance. I watched for anyone who might notice me. At one point three dragons had passed us on the path. The black dragon on my shoulder had watched with amazement as they made their way through the trees. In the distance I saw the wall of the, guild maybe?

Approaching the structure I ducked out of between the trees and under brush. Standing before me was a great circular wall, large even massive bricks made a wall easily sixty feet in height. I stepped closer and noticed the bricks though made of stone had a silvery sheen. A few yards away a massive gate, solid oak with thick iron bands stretched upwards. Atop the parapet stood a human and what looked to be a dwarf...

I raised myself to a straighter position and trying carefully to lose the colloquial jargon of a modern world. "Ahoy, up there!" I yelled to the two guards. Peering down at me from the wall the large man responded in a booming voice. "State your name, business here, and if you wish to enter. Strange boy, the pass code common to those who know the Riders!" Gathering my wits about me I fumbled momentarily with his request. "I am Issac, son of Nathaniel. I am here to seek refuge." I responded as soon as I had discerned what he wanted. "And the words of entry into this city?" the man questioned waving an arm behind the wall.

I thought for a moment, _What could they be using as a __pass code__? I don't remember any from the books... _Then one struck me. _The watch word for entry into the Varden, of course! _Looking up at the mans impatient expression I recited as carefully as possible, "Aí varden abr du Shur'tugalar gata vanta!". The man gave me a look as if trying to tell if what I had said was a joke meant to fool him. Then in his loud, booming voice he responded, "Enter Issac, but beware what path you walk in Dras abr Wyrda". I thought about what he had said, _Dras abr Wyrda? Oh, The city of Fate. _

AS the doors boomed shut behind me I stared out into the most incredible city I could imagine. Giant door ways gaped in buildings soaring walkways and stained glass windows were all I could see. Massive towers loomed high into the sky, rising more than twice as high as the wall. The dragon on my shoulder was equally impressed, but not with the buildings. Walking and flying, soaring around and into the towers were dragons of every imaginable size and color. Behind and above me I heard a shout, "Hey boy!" it was the dwarf who had been standing on the wall. "I think you should come with me" he said. "The only human riders I know of come from this city, others from Ellesmera across the ocean, and it don't take a trained mind to know you aren't an Elf or Urgalgra". The dwarf began to walk into the city, "I would have you explain yourself to me, but it isn't my place to do such a thing" he explained. "Especially if you seek refuge". He cast an eye back at me, "Or perhaps you need training, eh?"

I thought carefully about what he had said before responding. "Well if I'm bonded, don't I have to receive training?" The dwarf chuckled, "True that, it wouldn't do to have a rouge rider with no sense of duty or loyalty". Reaching what seemed to be a central square we turned right and continued towards an incredible building. Its entrance was richly carved with all manner of fantastic creatures and wrought with fine gold filigre. "This is the capital hall" the dwarf said proudly. "Hopefully Paladin Eragon is still here, it's late so there is always the chance he is on a mission of some kind". Stepping into the building I gasped, far above vaulted arches and beautiful frescoes lined the ceiling. We reached a door at the left of the central chamber and stepped into the smaller hallway. Walking quickly along I noticed that the entire building seemed abandoned. We reached the beautifully carved door at the end of the hallway and stopped. Raising himself up he took my pack from me and placed it in a cubby next to the door. Ungloving one gnarled hand he gently rapped with the knocker. From within I heard a voice echo, "Enter". The dwarf opened the doorway and we stepped in.

Standing behind a desk reading a scroll stood a man who was both immediately recognizable and someone I knew nothing of. Even more striking than the man himself was the dragon behind him. Sprawled out on the rich floor was a large and dazzlingly blue dragon nearly the diameter of the room. _This is real.. _I thought to myself. _It's actually them, Eragon and Saphira! _The man looked up, "Dallas, who is this?", he said gesturing towards me. "Well that's why I am here" the dwarf replied uncomfortably. "He appeared with that dragon hatchling out of the woods this morning, he says his name is Issac". Eragon peered at me with a distinct curiosity. "It seems you have some explaining to do".

"Please sit", Eragon said when Dallas had left the room. "Let's start with the basics, where are you from and how did you come to posses a dragon egg?". "The first of my answers may be hard to believe" I mumbled. "Well I've heard strange things in my years" Eragon said. Starting again I raised my voice and looked Eragon straight in the face, his gaze was striking and unwavering. "I come from another world" I finally said, breaking from my concentration. "Really?" Eragon said calmly, his voice was not disbelieving but behind him I saw Saphira open an eye and peer at me. "Yes" I said as calmly as I could, "I witnessed a portal form while walking through the woods near my home, before it closed the egg came through".

"When was this?" Eragon asked looking at the dragon hatchling now asleep on my shoulder. "Your dragon seems barely a few days of age". "The egg first appeared four days ago, but as for the dragon.. " I said scratching the bottom of its neck "It only hatched yesterday". I turned and looked back at Eragon "Do you believe me?" I said questioningly. Eragon sighed, "Well for now I think the best course of action is to accept the fact you may be from another world". Eragon leaned forward in his chair and peered into my eyes, "The question that weighs on my mind, is why you continue to act quite stoical". I hesitated, _Can I really tell him that his whole world is just a book?. _"I know many things about this world", I said trying to maintain a straight face, "The world that I come from is different in every way, in the past, thousands of years before the current time my world had a era much like this world".

Eragon gave me a strange look, "Your world had riders as well then?". "No, or at least as far as I know, I knew that the only place in the universe that a dragon egg such as this could have come from was this world", I replied "I felt that I should go through the portal and see if I could locate you, Eragon". Eragon glanced back at Saphira who had shifted to an upright position, turning back he looked at me with a cautious eye. "The amount you already know is unnerving to both of us, how much do you know of this land?" I hesitated before speaking, "I know everything that has happened to you since the day you found Saphiras' egg to the day you left Alageasia, in detail".

Eragon rose to his feet, "No one can know that much, especially not you since it has been nearly seven years since I left!" "It's true, Eragon Bromson, Shadeslayer, Kingkiller", I said as calmly as I could. "But how?", he said walking around the desk. "I would hate to have to break into your mind just to know the reason". "You would really trespass in my mind?", I said knowing that Eragon hated to do any such thing. Suddenly a voice, feminine and... beautiful echoed into my skull _"Even if he will not, I would not hesitate to pry open your skull to see what lurks within", _Said Saphira. I brushed away the contact but I could still fell her waiting at the edge of my mind, _I'm not strong enough to keep her out of my mind_, I thought. "If I told you it might destroy you and this world, you can never know or it would all end".

Feeling a nudge at the edge of my conscience, I threw up what barriers I had and braced myself. Saphira crashed into my mind with all the force of a freight train derailing, she wasn't bluffing then. Again and again she crashed against the barrier of thoughts. My mind was far from focused as I knew it would have to be to sustain such a defense. I realized that despite the attack I could still think, I didn't know how I was doing it but for now that would be just fine, I could use it to my advantage. Projecting my thoughts outwards from the fortress that was my mind, _"You cannot take the information from me, not even you are strong enough". _Saphiras mind echoed back to me, _"I am trying not to harm you boy but no longer". _Suddenly the force beating on my mind retreated only to return with twice the force as before. I gripped my chair tighter as I worked against the wall of energy that threatened to crush my mind. _Defensive behavior won't help me alone. _Pushing against the wall I began to move it back. I marveled at the power I found within myself, it was easy! Saphiras attack wavered as I forced her away from my mind. Then it ceased.

When I came back to my own body I saw Eragon standing over me. "Are you alright?" he said lifting me back into my chair. "Saphira told me what happened, if you won't tell us, so be it". "It's incredible that you could keep her out", he said "Where did you learn to do that?" "That was the first time that I have had to defend my mind", I said "But it is very strange". "Well I think that we can finish a different time", Eragon said smiling, "Welcome to Dras abr Wyrda, next week your apprenticeship begins" I was shocked, "Apprenticeship?", I asked "Who is my master?".  
"That would be me", Eragon said

\- Authors Note: Thanks for waiting this long for a proper chapter. As always a review is appreciated if your happy with the improvement in my writing.


End file.
